Low water levels at Falls Lake ahead of what will likely be a busy weekend on the water

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — With soaring temperatures and beautiful weather expected this weekend, it’s likely to be a busy few days on the water across Central North Carolina. But as extreme drought conditions persist, there’s an added emphasis on safety for those heading out.

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“You can tell the difference here,” said Joe Higdon, who spent his Friday fishing on Falls Lake for the first time since November, “You can see sand, you can see water marks that are left on the rocks from where it was last fall, so it’s receded quite a bit.”

It’s a concerning trend that’s also affected his fishing, “The bottom of the lake, the weeds and the rocks are still there, they haven’t moved, but they’re a lot closer now to the top surface. So when you drop your line, you have to be very careful that you don’t drop all the way down and drift back up.”

The Army Corps of Engineers says the levels on Falls Lake are about three-and-a-half feet lower than normal.

“We’re not to the lowest points that we’ve had, like back in 2007-2008, we still got a ways to go before we’re that low,” said Chief Ranger Francis Ferrell.

With a busy weekend on the lake expected, he’s stressing the importance of being safe on the water, “There are some additional hazards out on the lake, we really encourage, especially if you’re boating to watch out for underwater hazards, because there’s new stuff that’s uncovered with the lake being three-and-a-half feet down.”

Those low lake levels also continue to cut into the City of Raleigh’s water supply, which has now fallen to around 77%.

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“This is an unusual drought and one that we’re taking very seriously,” said Raleigh Water Assistant Director Ed Buchan.

For nearly a month, most homeowners across Wake County have been asked to limit how often they water their lawns as part of Stage One restrictions.

To enter Stage Two restrictions in May, the water supply on Falls Lake would have to fall to 55%.

“I don’t anticipate that happening, but conversely, it would take a lot of water for us to come out of Stage One. For May, we’d have to get back to 95%,” Buchan explained.

Buchan says rolling back restrictions in June would require the lake to return to 85% of the water supply, noting that it’s likely the restrictions will continue to stick around through at least then barring a favorable change in rainfall.

He adds that since the restrictions have started, it seems the vast majority of homeowners are following them.

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